Eve Luneborg
Live casino poker offers a way to play poker against a live dealer via a video stream. Unlike traditional peer-to-peer poker, these games are played against the house, and there are fixed rules and a paytable. To succeed, you need some basic poker knowledge, but for the most part, these are games of chance. Playing this kind of poker has many advantages, especially if you’re a new or fairly inexperienced poker player.
In this article, we’ll be looking at the most popular versions of poker you can play against a live dealer. We’ll also explain how the games work, how you play, and we’ll even give you some tips and strategies that can help you win.
Live casino poker is a card game played against the dealer, and you play in real time via a video feed. The game is streamed from a live casino studio, where a real dealer sits behind a real table, managing the game with real cards. You place bets, get dealt cards, and make decisions just like you would at a casino table.
There are several different versions of poker available at Irish live casinos. Some follow traditional rules, while others are innovative versions filled with unique features. The traditional ones usually use a standard 52-card deck and follow Texas Hold’em or Five-Card Draw formats, but are played differently, since you play against a dealer, not other players.
While playing, you can follow the gameplay through multiple camera angles, and you can use the chat function to speak to the dealer.
The most important thing you need to know about casino poker is that it’s played against the dealer, not other players. The aim is to get a better poker hand than the dealer, and most games use standard poker hand rankings.
It’s also important to know that poker is a game type, not one specific game. Therefore, there is no set of universal rules that apply to all versions of live poker. So here, we’ll describe some general rules, but you should always check the details of your specific game before you place a bet.
A game round starts when you place your first bet. In most versions, you get two or more cards, and the dealer also gets cards — some face-up, some face-down. At this stage, many versions require that the dealer’s hand must qualify in order for the game round to continue. If the dealer qualifies, you decide whether to fold or continue in the hand. If you continue, you have to place an additional bet.
Now, some poker versions let you discard and draw cards for just your hand, while others use communal cards. But the goal always remains the same — getting the best possible poker hand.
When the dealer reveals their cards, their hand is compared to your hand. If your hand beats the dealer’s, you win. In addition to just straight-up winning, most games also offer extra rewards based on your hand or a combination of your cards and the dealer’s. Side bets usually pay out if you hit a strong hand like a flush, straight, or three of a kind. In selected casino poker games, you’ll also be able to place a separate side bet on a progressive jackpot.
You’ll find many types of poker games in most Irish live casinos, and they all have their own features, rules, and potential payouts. Here, we’ll have a look at five of the most popular versions and explain what you need to know about them.
Casino Hold’em is a house-banked version of Texas Hold’em. Several live casino software providers offer this game, but the most common games are delivered by Evolution and Playtech. In this game, you play against the dealer using two hole cards and five community cards. The aim is to make a five-card poker hand that beats the dealer’s hand.
The game starts with an Ante bet. After the flop, you can fold or place a Call bet. The dealer needs at least a pair of 4s to qualify. If the dealer doesn’t qualify, you win the Ante bet, and your Call bet is returned. If the dealer qualifies and you win, both bets pay out based on a fixed paytable.
Most versions include an optional side bet, which pays if your two cards and the first three community cards form a strong hand. The house edge is around 2.16%, excluding side bets. Casino Hold’em is one of the most popular poker-style games in live casino lobbies due to its pace and straightforward rules. It should also be mentioned that Evolution’s version comes with a progressive jackpot, but to win it, you must place a separate €1 side bet on this outcome.
Caribbean Stud Poker is a five-card poker game where all players play individual games against the dealer. It’s available from Evolution and other providers, and is played with a single 52-card deck. It’s a fairly simple poker game, as you only have to make one decision during the game round.
You start by placing an Ante bet, and then you receive five cards. The dealer also gets five cards, with one card face-up. After looking at your hand, you either fold or place a Call bet. The dealer must have at least Ace-King to qualify. If the dealer doesn’t qualify, your Ante wins and the Call is returned. If the dealer does qualify, and your hand is stronger, both bets are paid.
Most versions of this game include a jackpot side bet, which pays fixed amounts for strong hands like flushes and full houses, and a large progressive prize for a Royal Flush. The main game house edge is roughly 5.22%.
3 Card Poker is a quick poker game played against the dealer. It’s offered by providers like Evolution and is known for being the simplest of all live poker games. You start with an Ante bet and receive three cards. The dealer also receives three cards, face down.
Once you get your cards, you can fold or place a Play bet to continue. The dealer must have at least Queen-high to qualify, and if they don’t qualify, your Ante wins and the Play bet is returned. If the dealer does qualify and your hand beats theirs, both the Ante and Play bets pay. In 3 Card Poker, hand rankings differ slightly from standard poker. Straight beats flush, and three of a kind is the highest regular hand.
There are two optional side bets in this game: Pair Plus, which pays for pairs or better regardless of the dealer’s hand, and 6 Card Bonus, which pays based on the best five-card hand made using all six cards. The house edge is about 3.37% on Ante and Play, and 7.28% on Pair Plus.
Casino Stud Poker is similar to Caribbean Stud, but game developers tend to make their own little twists to the Casino Stud Poker version. Playtech and Evolution both offer this game, and although very similar, not completely identical. The game uses five-card poker rules and is played against the dealer. One of the dealer’s cards is dealt face-up.
You start by placing an Ante bet, and then you’ll receive five cards. If your hand looks strong, you can choose to continue by making a Call bet. The dealer needs a qualifying hand to play — most often Ace-King or better. If the dealer doesn’t qualify, your Ante wins and your Call is returned. If both the dealer qualifies, the stronger hand wins both bets.
Some versions include a 5+1 Bonus side bet, which is a six-card hand based on your five cards plus the dealer’s face-up card. Winnings in Casino Stud Poker are awarded for three-of-a-kind and better. The game has a fairly high house edge of around 5.0%, and tends to be slower-paced than 3 Card Poker.
Jacks or Better is a live version of classic video poker, and it’s the provider Pragmatic Play that offers this unique game. Unlike most live poker games, you’re not playing against a dealer. In fact, you’re not comparing your poker hand to anyone. Instead, you simply aim to make the strongest hand possible.
You always start with a five-card hand, and then you choose which cards to hold and which to replace. If your final hand includes a pair of Jacks or better, you receive a payout according to a fixed paytable. Higher hands, like a full house or straight flush, offer bigger wins than lower-valued hands.
As a video poker game, Jacks or Better Draw Poker is a game with a low house edge. The exact number is dependent on skill, as you have to make the optimal decisions to give the house as low an edge as possible. With optimal play, you can get the edge down to less than 0.5%.
Live poker games are developed by a fairly small number of software providers that specialise in live dealer content. Most live poker tables follow some standard formats, but there are also some that create their own unique versions of the games. Here, let’s have a look at three of the most popular live poker software providers.
Evolution is the largest live casino provider in Europe and offers a wide range of poker-style games, in addition to other table, card, and game show games. All their poker tables are streamed from studios in Latvia and Malta, and they’re all available 24/7.
Poker games by Evolution usually feature side bets and optional bonus rounds, keeping the games exciting. In the main Evolution game lobby, you can find a separate tab where you can find all poker games.
Popular Evolution live poker games include:
Pragmatic Play offers a fairly small selection of live poker games. The poker types they do offer are not many, as Casino Hold’em and Jacks or Better Draw Poker are the only two they currently offer. All games are streamed from the company’s Bucharest studio, and the quality is just as good as we’ve come to expect from all of Pragmatic Play’s live dealer games.
The game interface is mobile-optimised, and table limits are suitable for most players. To make it easy for Irish players, all games are, by default, offered in English.
Popular Pragmatic Play poker games include:
Playtech runs a large live casino studio in Riga, and from there, they’re offering multiple poker tables. Many of their poker games include progressive jackpots, and you’ll find some of these big prizes in Caribbean Stud and Casino Hold’em.
Most poker games by Playtech are focused on traditional five-card poker rules. You’ll also find options to place side bets available on most tables. As always, when you play Playtech’s live casino games, the streaming quality is high.
Popular Playtech poker games include:
To play poker in a live casino, all you need to do is complete some steps, which will take you a couple of minutes. We’ll guide you through the whole process here:
You start by choosing a casino to play at. The one we recommend is Wild Robin, but you can of course choose whichever casino you prefer, as long as they accept players from Ireland. Just make sure that they’re a safe and reputable casino.
At the casino, you’ll need to sign up as a new member. Typically, there’s a ‘sign up’ or ‘register’ button located in the upper right corner. Tap this, and the registration form will open, and all you have to do is fill in your details in the form.
Once your account is set up and you’re logged in, you can go to the deposit page. There, you’ll see a full list of all available payment methods, and you can choose whichever one you prefer. Enter the amount you wish to deposit, and then follow the on-screen instructions describing how to complete the deposit.
When your account is funded, you can navigate to the live casino section of the website. There, you’ll most often find all poker games collected into one category, so that you can easily see which versions the casino offers. Once you’ve found a game you’d like to try, simply click it, and it will open directly in your web browser.
Once the game has loaded and is opened, we recommend that you start by reading the game’s rules and checking out the paytable. Then, decide how much you want to bet, and as soon as the betting window for the next game round opens, place your chips on the virtual table. Now, you can continue to play for as long as you’d like. Any winnings are automatically added to your casino balance.
After you’re done playing, you can go to the casino’s cashier and request a withdrawal of your winnings. Start by selecting your payment method, and then enter the amount you wish to withdraw, before confirming the cashout. Now, the casino’s payments team will process your withdrawal and hopefully approve it. Just note that if it’s your first withdrawal, they’ll most likely ask you to complete a KYC verification before they can process the payout.
Casino poker and standard poker differ significantly in format, objectives, and gameplay. Standard poker typically refers to multiplayer poker games played among players, where players compete against each other — not against the house. Variants such as Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Seven-Card Stud fall under this category. The game involves multiple betting rounds, bluffing, reading opponents, and strategic decisions based on player behaviour. The pot is won by the player with the best hand or by forcing others to fold.
Casino poker, by contrast, usually refers to house-banked poker games offered in live casino environments. In these games, players compete directly against the dealer, not other players. Examples include Casino Hold’em, Caribbean Stud Poker, and 3 Card Poker. The rules are simplified and fixed, with players making decisions such as whether to fold or continue after the initial deal. Bluffing and reading opponents are not factors since you only play against the dealer’s hand.
The biggest difference between “real” poker and casino poker is perhaps in the skill, knowledge, and strategy needed to succeed. Peer-to-peer poker is a highly skill-based game, whereas casino poker is mainly about luck.
Live casino poker is a game type that requires a bit of skill and a lot of luck. Even though you can’t influence the cards, you can make better decisions by understanding the game rules, using correct strategy, and managing your funds. Below, you’ll find some useful tips that can help you succeed when you play poker against a dealer.
If your casino allows for casino bonuses to be used for live dealer games, then you might be able to use these funds to play poker. Just be aware that the wagering contribution might not be very high, and that there will be a max bet limit you need to adhere to. As long as you stay within the bonus terms, claiming bonuses is a great way to boost your bankroll when playing live poker.
Live poker games can involve multiple bets per hand — Ante, Call, and side bets — so your balance can drop quickly if you don’t plan for this. Set a fixed budget before you start and break it into smaller units. Avoid placing more than 5% of your total bankroll on a single hand. If you have limited funds to play with, consider skipping side bets. Even though they can pay out bigger wins, the house edge for these bets is almost always worse than the base game.
Each poker game has different rules, house edges, and payouts. Some, like Jacks or Better, offer low house edges and slow-paced play. Others, like Caribbean Stud or 3 Card Poker, are faster with higher volatility. If you prefer strategy, go for games that allow decisions after the deal, like Casino Hold’em or Ultimate Texas Hold’em. If you’re looking for frequent action, 3 Card Poker may be a better fit. Also, check if the game includes side bets, bonus features, or qualifying rules for the dealer. Understanding these differences helps you choose a game that matches your play style.
Live poker games are designed to be engaging, but it’s important to set clear limits and treat the game as a form of entertainment. Responsible gambling means playing within your means and knowing when to stop. Set a fixed budget before you start and decide in advance how much time you want to spend at the table — and stick to it.
Most licensed online casinos in Ireland offer tools to help you stay in control. These include deposit limits, loss limits, time-outs, and self-exclusion options. You can usually find these in the account settings or the responsible gambling section. If not, get in touch with the casino’s customer support team, and they can activate the limits for you.
If you feel that poker or any other gambling activity is affecting your well-being, help is available. For Irish players, there are multiple free resources, like support groups and help organisations.
Live casino poker is a collection of many different games. Some require that you have some skills and knowledge in order to succeed, while others are mainly based on luck. No matter which type you choose, the goal is always the same — create the best possible poker hand. And keep in mind, you don’t play against other players, as casino poker is played against the house.
If you want to play live poker online, you should start by finding a game that suits you. Most Irish live casinos will offer many different versions of poker, delivered by several game providers. Choose the skill level that suits you, a paytable that seems appealing, and a game that has the extra features you prefer, like a progressive jackpot or other side bets.
Eve Luneborg – Live Casino Specialist at LiveCasino.ie
Eve Luneborg has been part of the online casino industry since 2014, when she moved to the sunny shores of Malta to pursue her passion for gaming.
